Verizon, Lineage Power Partner to Reduce Power Used by ICT Equipment

January 18, 2010

Lineage Power and Verizon Communications are partnering to test two new technologies that significantly decrease the amount of electricity used by information and communications technology (ICT) equipment.

To power this equipment, communications carriers, wireless operators, Internet service providers and large enterprises convert electricity from commercial alternating current to direct current. The current conversion process is inefficient, resulting in both the overconsumption of energy and the unnecessary creation of heat. The new technologies, which will be tested in five of Verizon's central office facilities, address that issue.

The technologies, part of Lineage Power’s Total Efficiency Architecture, involve specially designed rectifiers and software that will increase the efficiency of the AC/DC conversion process to up to 97 percent, thus saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"This is important research in the area of energy efficiency, and Verizon is proud to support it," said James Gowen, chief sustainability officer for Verizon. "Two years ago, Verizon led the industry by creating the first-ever energy efficiency standards for telecom equipment. Our alliance with Lineage Power further demonstrates Verizon's commitment to ensuring that the most advanced global networks are also the most energy efficient."

Earlier this week, Lineage Power announced that it has been awarded a $2.4 million U.S. Department of Energy research and development grant that will fund the design, engineering, removal and installation costs, as well monitoring and research, associated with the tests of the new technologies.

The Lineage Power’s Total Efficiency Architecture is estimated to save over a billion kilowatt hours annually by reducing power consumption and cooling costs within the estimated 23,000 telecom central offices across the country and large data centers.

"The mobile Internet and the optical networks that support it will continue to expand and accelerate to service seemingly insatiable subscriber demand for more real-time information," said Craig Witsoe, CEO of Lineage Power. "Verizon's thought leadership, coupled with Lineage Power technology and joint best practices, will ensure sustainability goals can be achieved for both new and existing communications infrastructures throughout the global ICT industry."

ICT facilities account for approximately 3 percent of all U.S. electricity use. Rapid growth in the U.S. data center industry is projected to require two new large power plants per year just to keep pace with the expected demand growth. Without gains in efficiency, the industry will face increasing costs and greenhouse gas emissions, along with challenges to the reliability of the electricity service.